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Messi Unlikely for Ivory Coast Match

May 27th, 2006 | By: WC Bob | 26 Comments »

Lionel Messi said today that it is unlikely that he will be ready to start for Argentina’s World Cup opening match against Ivory Coast.

“Today, I don’t think I’ll be in the team. I haven’t played much, I’ve been out of action for some time,” Messi told reporters.

“I know I still have some way to go…(but) I’m relaxed, I know I have to keep working,” he said. “I’m a bit short but I feel better each day. I think I’ll get into rhythm in the time left (before the World Cup). I want to play the final and I hope we meet Brazil.”

Is it me or this injury taking a lot longer to heal than we thought it would? I understand the need to be cautious. But at the time it was described as a minor thigh muscle injury, but now it has kept him out of action since March. I’m started to wonder if we can really count on him contributing at all during the World Cup.

Trying to remain optimistic but it is tough….

Tags: Group C, World Cup 2006

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Comments

Displaying the most recent 25 comments from a total of 26 comments.

Read the rest of the comments

By lol | May 27th, 2006 at 1:52 pm

relax dude. Now you are staring to talk as if he broke a leg lol. He said he might not START against Ivory Coast. This means that he will be a substitute.

Posted from Canada

By lol | May 27th, 2006 at 1:57 pm

Are u listening to this Bullshit ? Messi has recovered. Just because he said he does not think he will not start in a little interview does not mean anything.

The doctors said he has recovered. All he needs to do is get back into the rythm.

Posted from Canada

By carrie | May 27th, 2006 at 2:06 pm

This is the last thing we want. I hope it’s just a bs and he has recovered. I have ordered his jersey actually. Hoping I haven’t waste my money lol.

By lol | May 27th, 2006 at 2:11 pm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HSXM1edzmfA

SOME OF U ARE REALLY DESPERATE.

Posted from Canada

By Phil | May 27th, 2006 at 5:24 pm

I think he’ll be fine. He’s just laying low so that when he does play he can go all out. We have the firepower to do well even if he is just coming off the bench against Ivory Coast.

By argieincanada | May 27th, 2006 at 8:34 pm

He’s just not ready to play a full game because he’s been our of action for two months. That’s it. His leg is fine.

Posted from Canada

By DFarina | May 27th, 2006 at 8:40 pm

He is just trying to mess with Ivory Coast’s defense. He’ll play.

By Messay | May 27th, 2006 at 11:21 pm

haha, it is funny to me when people are taking stuff out of context. He said “today, i dont think i will start against Ivory coast”, he was talking about today, as in if the game was to start TODAY i wont start. that is all he said. the media will put anything just to get a story, but listen to what he actually said, do you think they would have played him for 15 minutes if he was hurt?

Posted from United States

By lol | May 28th, 2006 at 12:24 am

Here is the real interview:
http://www.lanacion.com.ar/coberturaespecial/mundial2006/nota.asp?nota_id=809698

It is in spanish so u might need to translate it.

He basically said that he is getting better every day and that his training is getting more intense.

He said if the Ivory Coast game was TODAY he would not start. He also said that he will be ready when the WC starts.

Some of you are really overreacting. Messi is in good hand, he has good doctors that are taking things one step at a time. His injury is history. He just needs to play.

Posted from Canada

By Gastón | May 28th, 2006 at 4:49 am

The strikers against Ivory Coast will be Tevez – Crespo.
Lio has time to get well of his injury.

Posted from Argentina

By farey | May 28th, 2006 at 5:19 am

my opinion is pekerman’s first choice will be him.i hope that he will be fit for the ivory coast match.go messi!!!

Posted from Maldives

By maxilopez | May 28th, 2006 at 5:39 am

Hi guys.

On which channel can I watch Argentina VS Angola on TV?

I live in France. Thanks.

Posted from Sweden

By gino | May 28th, 2006 at 10:11 am

Just in case if Messi couldn’t start is a concern, that’s why I would have put Sergio Aguero into the lineup cause he is like Messi to substitute just in case.

Posted from United States

By Pugnate | May 28th, 2006 at 10:33 am

I agree. I don’t understand all this desperation and over reaction in every other post.

Posted from Pakistan

By fab | May 28th, 2006 at 3:13 pm

you guys are all wrong

messi is best used in midfield on the right wing

not as a striker remember how well we did with the 4 roman,messi,tevez,crespo

pekker will use this

in the freindly against croatia
the whole point was to experiment with other defenders and to see how messi does along side roman as a duel play maker

in that game he had a 4-2-2-2

formation witch is ultra defensive

yet we scored 2 anyways

so now he knows those 4 work well together

and now he has the right defenders

so now he can add a lucho and a masche and some nice defense

and POW we are winning games

Posted from Canada

By zoran | May 28th, 2006 at 3:32 pm

ARGENTINA WILL BE CHAMPION IN GERMANY!!GREETINGS FROM ZORAN,DANCO,VLATKO AND DEJAN FROM MACEDONIA!!!
P.S.TEVEZ WILL BE TOP SCORER!!

Posted from The Former Yugoslav Republic Of Macedonia

By argiebargie | May 28th, 2006 at 4:59 pm

Everyone chill out. His fitness level is poor at the moment and just needs to some matches to get his stamina up again.

Look at the players that can come on in his place. Lucho, Aimar, Rodriguez. Excellent players to fill in.

I’ll be honest, the thought did occur to me – Aimar in the place for Messi. I don’t know if it would work but i would love to see Pekerman experiment.

Posted from United Kingdom

By Rune | May 29th, 2006 at 3:39 am

Can someone please answer me: Pekerman said a few days ago that “Messi`s muscle had been playing up”. What does that mean? Does it mean that he felt some pain again?

Posted from Norway

By Tanvir | May 30th, 2006 at 8:43 am

Can anyone post a URL for LIVE stream of this match ?

Posted from United States

By Stefan | May 30th, 2006 at 9:25 am

Messi must play He is the best player ever:) I think that he will be best young player in tournament if he plays. We hope that he can bee as good as he was in the winter with Barcelona.

Posted from Norway

By Kjetil | May 30th, 2006 at 1:39 pm

Anyone found a stream for the game yet? I know fotballstreams.no got one, but thats not for free.

Posted from Norway

By SAROJ napit | May 31st, 2006 at 4:42 am

bravo MESSI;he will definitely play against ivory coast

Posted from Nepal

By ZORAN | May 31st, 2006 at 2:45 pm

I think that ARGENTINA this year will be winer in Germany 2006!
TEVEZ THE BEST OF THE BEST!!!GREETINGS FROM LAND OF ALEXANDER THE GREAT-MACEDONIA!

Posted from The Former Yugoslav Republic Of Macedonia

By rofaldez | June 9th, 2006 at 9:52 pm

No problem s at all, why?
Argentini will do fine without messi in the first round.
But in the second the team will definietly need him. The speed of his power must provide argentina the victory of the world cup. So dude be fit and take it relax, dont push it to hard!
Okay, i got a flag, jerseys,…..Lol. Spent money on this country you know.GOOOOOO ARGe!

Posted from Suriname

By Mugawwim | June 10th, 2006 at 7:22 am

Without Messi it is a dispointment for all argentinas fan he has to play he is the best for fifa 2006 world cup
we don’t want miss him go go messi hope to see u in the opening match.

Posted from Maldives

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